Bloomfield, Thursday June 26^th 1862

 

Dear Wife

                        Yesterday I wrote you a letter, which, if I had waited till to day, I should not have written, for this morning I received yours of the 17^th acknowledging the receipt of three of my letters. You may be sure that I feel very much better on account of it. I had not noticed the writing in pencil on the back of your other letter although I had read it several times; and, come to look at it the pencil marks are almost hardly discernible, for they are very dim and the paper is so transparent that the writing on the other side shows through very plainly. I acknowledge, Frank, that I was yesterday in a regular old fashioned fret and had worked myself up into a very unhappy state of feeling on account of your not getting my letters. If I could recall that letter I would, but it is deposited in the letter box at headquarters, yet I am in hopes that this will go out with it. I do not recall what I wrote, but if I said anything calculated to give you pain, I beg a thousand pardons and ask you to consider the circumstances and overlook it. I have been thinking, of late, till yesterday, that I was learning to practice that very desirable quality of mind known as patience but I now think that I am just about the / "same old sixpence" after all.

 

            Our regiment is scattered around considerably yet. The first battalion is camped about 20 miles south from here, the 3^d about 10 miles beyond the 1^st the 2^nd is here and a few are at the Cape, the Colonel is also at the Cape. Co. A in which many of the Oakland & Fort boys are is in the 1^st Bat. & they have not been with us in a long time and this accounts for their writing home that they know nothing of me. I saw Leander Alling day before yesterday. He came here bearing dispatches; on which business he is frequently sent alone from one camp to another. He is well & says that his brother Eugene & Frank Hart are also well. George Curtis is here in Bloomfield and has been for, I think nearly a month with seven men and ten horses of Co. A. which are not fit for duty. He is well but has to be pretty busy to see to and take care of the invalid men and horses. He received a letter this morning from John Curtis. Marcina Stone is well but is stoping in the hospital taking care of the sick. Alex McGowan and Bill Bowers are well. They are two as generous kind-hearted, whole-souled fellows as I ever became acquainted with. Alex is much different from what I supposed he was before I became intimately acquainted with him. I am sure of faithful friends, who would do all in their power for me, should I need help, as long as they are with me. Since Masters went home Bill has been my especial confident. We sleep together and have had some talk of marrying / but, Frankie, don't be alarmed it was nothing but talk on my part for I formed a resolution long ago never to marry a second time.

 

            News to write I have none, but I can't help but think and write about this unfortunate part of the country. The more I learn of the history of southeastern Missouri, the more it seems to me that a strange fate has decreed that it shall forever remain a comparative wilderness. In 1811 it was more thickly settled that it has been at any time since. During that and the next year it was visited by several severe earthquake shocks which frightened away the inhabitants. In many places the earth sunk down so that where there was dry land, are now lakes & swamps; in other places the internal force seemed to burst out making deep chasms and throwing the sand in all directions. I have seen several of these, what are called here, "sand-blows." Near Hornersville where the Little River now spreads out into a shallow lake and on the very spot where the Daniel B. Miller was captured was once, before the country was visited by these "shakes," a smart town called Madrid, not the least vestage of which remains to be seen. It is now spoken of as "Old Madrid" to distinguish it from New Madrid on the Mississippi river. The soil was rich, the country seemed inviting, and it soon again began to be settled, and was getting in a flourishing condition when about 25 years ago the inhabitants were swept off by a pestilence. Most of those who / who were not destroyed, fled to escape death. On "West Praire" (which is beautiful timbered openings) 25 or 30 miles south from here can now be seen orchards of old large trees, with forest trees 6 or 8 inches thick interspersed among them, and not a sign of a house or cultivated field within sight. It is here when that the pestilence raged the worst. For six years past this region has been rapidly filling up and improving. Railroads were being laid out and if nothing had happened to interrupt its prosperity this part of the country would soon have been blessed with all the modern improvements, which are sure to accompany an advanced state of civilization. But a scourge worse than the "shakes" or pestilence is again spreading desolation over this devoted land. Hundreds are every day moving out for good and all, leaving their houses & land. Since we came here the roads are open for travelers and they are taking advantage of the opportunity to leave fearing that as soon as we are gone the bloody & savage civil strife will rage with as much fury as ever. One year and a half ago Bloomfield was a smart business place. Although it does not, I should think contain more dwelling houses than Cambridge yet it has some 16 stores, some of them larger ones all placed in regular order around a pretty square in the center of which stands the fine courthouse. The Courthouse is the head quarters of our battalion, and the soldiers occupy the stores. These buildings are necessarily being very much abused and damaged by our presence.

 

            Now, Frank I have written once more. It gives me great pleasure to do so; but oh! how much more pleasure it would give me to see you, and talk with you and hear your dear voice, and see your sweet smiles, and clasp you and darling Willie once more in my arms, but this cannot yet be, but let us live in hope that the time may sometime come that when all these dreams will be realised. I would like to have you send me some more postage stamps. Write as often as you can to your husband

                                                                                                C. P. Goodrich

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